PDEA: 82,607 nabbed in illegal drugs since July 2016

MANILA-- The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Friday said that more than 82,000 persons were arrested in line with the Duterte administration's intensified campaign against illegal drugs.

In a press conference for its weekly update on "#RealNumbers", PDEA Director General Isidro LapeAa said that joint law enforcement agencies arrested a total of 82,607 individuals involved in illegal drugs from July 2016 to June 6, 2017.

Of the total, he said some 119 are elected officials, 23 are uniformed personnel, and 138 are government employees.

Around 61,592 anti-illegal drugs operations by joint law enforcement agencies were also conducted during the period.

The PDEA chief also said that the number of drug surrenderers totaled 1,304,795 during the anti-narcotics campaign period from July 2016 to June 6, 2017.

As of June 6, 2017, their consolidated report showed that 3,116 drug suspects have died during operations while a total of 2,340.74 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride, also known as "shabu", with an estimated value of PHP12.19 billion were seized.

Meanwhile, some 47 were killed in action and 132 wounded during the anti drugs operations from July 2016 to June 6, 2017.

Aside from PDEA, agencies involved in the anti-illegal drugs operations are the Philippine National Police (PNP), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), among others.

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